Merced County news roundup: DHS operation, fire, fair concerts and more

From a federal operation in Delhi to a 200-acre wildfire and the passing of a legendary coach, Merced County saw a busy stretch of news.

Here’s a quick look at the stories shaping the community:

• Department of Homeland Security officers executed a search warrant at El Rancho Market in Delhi on May 18 for a criminal investigation, and the Merced County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it was not immigration enforcement. Legal observers saw officers remove computer monitors, cash registers and what appeared to be a rifle from the market, and DHS reported no ICE arrests in Delhi or Merced that day.
• Don Reid, the first head men’s basketball coach at Merced College, died at age 89, his daughter announced on Facebook. Reid led the Blue Devils to back-to-back state junior college championships in 1978 and 1979, with the 1979 team honored as the No. 1 team in the nation.
• The Merced County Sheriff’s Posse, a volunteer equestrian group established in 1948, has been invited to the 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, D.C. on July 4. The Posse is accepting donations to help cover the five-day trailer trip and operates without government funding, with members owning and caring for their own Palomino horses, Sheriff Vern Warnke said.
• The seventh-seeded El Capitan High baseball team fell 3-0 to top-seeded Rio Americano in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 championship game, ending its 14-game winning streak.
• A wind-driven fire near East Childs Avenue and Campus Parkway burned nearly 200 acres on Sunday before Merced County and Merced City firefighters contained it.
• The Merced County Fair runs June 10-14 with the theme “Our Roots Run Deep,” featuring a free concert series included with paid admission at $10 in advance or $15 at the gate.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.